Homemade Italian Wedding Soup: Samantha Martinek

Parents: you love them, and you hate them. You can’t live with them, and you surely can’t live without them. Our parent’s cooking is usually the first we ever eat , well, after getting baby teeth.   And coming from my very Italian cooking background, it only makes sense that I would write about something dealing with my mother’s wonderful cooking.   I have  never before talked about my mom’s recipe for her Italian Wedding soup , mostly because it was just a soup that she threw   together after seeing a version of it at The Olive Garden.    .   There was a lot of trial and error figuring out how much of every vegetable put in.  Over time, she has done away with the  sausage in her soup and replaced it with chicken.  She and my dad have also started putting potatoes in it to absorb some of the broth and flavors.

  My mom has said that she has learned some basic tricks when making this soup, and they really help speed up the process.  She uses storebought  broth  and she always buys packaged  chicken breasts  because. My mom is really squeamish about that kind of stuff. I’ve had enough conversations about dissections with her to know.   Unfortunately, there are no exact measurements for the ingredients. You have to eyeball the whole recipe in order to get it right.   Her final piece of advice is, don’t rush it! You want to let the numerous flavors soak into the noodles and such.  Also,  it freezes extremely well!

Ingredients:

• Chicken Breast
• Chicken Base
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Potatoes
• Egg White Noodles
• Orzo Pasta noodles (Small cut noodles)
• Celery 

No quanties are given because you add more of what you like. This recipe is based off of eyeballing the dish.

Process:

1. Beginning by cutting everything into bite size pieces.
2. Boil the Chicken in water until tender
3. In a separate pot, boil the vegetables with the chicken base until tender. 
4. When everything is tender, mix them together, and add the noodles to the pot, continue boiling
5. Serve!

Erin Smith

Chicken Siciliano

            My father was not always given the best plot in life, but darn can that man cook! Even when times got tough, he always made sure that my sister and I had smiles on our faces and food in our bellies. Of course, when times do get tough, a man must get creative to feed two hungry, growing teenage girls on a budget. I really commend him on his creativity and ingenuity in the kitchen. It was in a moment a pure culinary inspiration did my father create Chicken Siciliano. He was able to alter a recipe for steak that he found a long time ago by replacing the steak with chicken and using ingredients he already had in his kitchen. The result was a delicious home-cooked meal and a lot of new, happy memories.

Ingredients:

·         4 small chicken breasts

·         1 box of angel hair pasta

Ingredients for sauce:

·         1 small red onion, chopped

·         1 medium green pepper, sliced

·         1 can diced tomatoes

·         1 can mushrooms

·         ¼ teaspoon minced garlic

·         1 tablespoon chopped bacon

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         ¼ cup beef stock

·         1 pinch of oregano

·         1 pinch of basil

·         1 bay leaf

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.      Place a medium sized saucepan (with lid) on the stove with low heat.

2.      Pour the oil and chopped bacon into the pan.

3.      When the bacon is crisp, add the peppers, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes to the pan. Place the lid on the pan and allow to cook until the vegetables are tender.

4.      Add the remaining ingredients and let the sauce cook (covered) for one hour or more.

5.      In a separate pot, boil the pasta until the noodles are soft and ready to eat.

6.      Grill the chicken breasts to desired preparedness.

7.      When the sauce is finished, combine the pasta, sauce, and chicken and serve. 

 

Homemade Recipe

Jacob Luc

Homemade Macaroni 

Words can’t even describe how I felt after I took my first bite into my mother’s homemade macaroni and cheese. All the different cheeses going into my mouth at once just left my body craving for more and more.  I don’t know if it’s the slightly crusted covering or all the cheeses combined in one, but I have never tasted any type of macaroni like my mother’s. After every time I eat her macaroni, I ask her the same question, “What is your secret to making your macaroni taste so different from anyone else’s and she replies with same answer “Well, If I told you, it definitely wouldn't be a secret anymore because who knows who your loud mouth would go and tell”. She must have her own secret ingredient, because she gives out her recipe to everyone, yet no one can perfect it like my mother.

                My mother told me everything about her macaroni and cheese, from the changes she made overtime, the exact ingredients, the most important items to have and even where the recipe originated from. My mother told me she gets bored of using the same recipe all the time so she constantly changes her ingredients in whatever she is cooking. Before, in her macaroni, she would only use one type of cheese and that was cheddar, now she has added mozzarella as well. Like all macaroni and cheese, the most important item into making the dish is the cheese. My mother said if there is not enough cheese in it, then all you will taste is the noodles and if you put too much cheese in it then it will just be disgusting. The recipe originated from one of my mother’s good friends while we lived in North Carolina. I had her macaroni and cheese before and it tasted amazing, but somehow my mother’s still tasted better. Still to this day, I am trying to figure out what it is that makes my mother’s macaroni taste so different from anyone else’s. I have a good feeling it will be a never ending thinking process until she finally gives me her secret ingredient, if that’s even what it is.

The Recipe

Boil your macaroni until tender. Strain it after boiling it. Mix your egg and evaporated milk together seasoning it with salt and pepper. Place your macaroni in the casserole dish and add a little butter while it is still hot. Pour the egg and milk mixture over the macaroni. Shred your cheese and pour the cheese in with the macaroni and the egg and milk mixture. Use work the cheese throughout the mixture so that it is not just on the top. My mom uses a lot of cheese. She doesn't know the exact measurement, but she uses a lot of it. 

1 and a half cups of macaroni

Evaporated milk

1 egg

Cheese (Sharp Cheddar

Butter

Salt and Pepper

Special Recipe

No-bake Cookies have been a very special recipe in my family as long as I can remember. My Mother made these cookies many times over the years. I remember I would scrape out the pot she used to make the cookies and eat the remaining No-bake Cookie mix. Until this phone call, I never knew where the recipe came from; my Aunt Marie had given the recipe to my Mother and that’s who taught her how to make the cookies. This makes the recipe even more special to me, because this was also one of my favorite aunts.

                While talking to my Mother about the cookies, she said there are no short cuts in making these cookies. She explained that these cookies are done on the stove top, so stirring the ingredients constantly and make sure the mixture doesn’t burn is very important. If they burn the slightest the cookies will have a burnt taste to them, even if the mixture doesn’t look burnt.  She explained the preparation in making these cookies and how it was very important to measure out ingredients and have in reach. Once the mixture starts to boil, it’s a very fast process and there is no time to stop and get or measure out something.  

                You will need wax paper, a medium saucepan or pot, a couple spoons handy,   sugar, milk, cocoa, vanilla, oats, peanut butter, butter, and chopped peanuts (optional).

Fix the heat to medium and combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa in the saucepan. Stirring constantly. Once the mixture reaches a rolling boil, remove it from the heat and add the oats, peanut butter, peanuts (optional), and vanilla. Stir quickly making sure all of the oats are mixed in well. With a teaspoon drop the mixture onto the wax paper and cool for about thirty minutes. Cookies will stay fresh if stored in a closed container in a dry place.

                 Over the years I have felt as if only my Mother knew how to make these cookies and everyone else’s were either too dry or just didn’t have a good taste. She taught me how to make the cookies and I’ve been making them now for the past 25 years. She never changed the recipe, but I’ve experimented with leaving the cocoa out and just making them Peanut Butter No-Bakes. When I first did this, I took some to my Mom, and she became an instant fan. She’s even been known to hide some for herself.

                While on the phone we discussed the possibility of adding raisins to this mixture. This may mean that I need to get in the kitchen and whip up a batch of Chocolate Peanut Butter Raisin No-Bake Cookies.

No-Bake Cookie

   3c     Quick Oates                                                          2/3c Peanut Butter

1/2c Chopped Peanuts (optional)                                     2c  Sugar

1/2c  Butter (1 stick)                                                        1/2c  Milk

1/3c  Cocoa                                                                        2tsp  Vanilla Extract

Lay out enough wax paper to hold cookies. Measure oats, peanut butter, and peanuts (optional), set aside. Combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa in a medium size saucepan, continuously stir mixture until it comes to a rapid boil. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, oats, vanilla, and peanuts. Stir quickly making sure all oats are coated. Quickly drop mixture using a teaspoon onto the wax paper. Cooling time is about 30 minutes.

**Store extra cookies in a closed container in a dry place.

***Pamela Rohrbaugh***                       

Homemade Irish Soda Bread!

Lyon Family’s Irish Soda Bread

Every year it is a tradition that my Irish family makes an Irish dinner on St. Patrick’s Day. Our Irish dinner consists of corn beef, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and, my favorite, Irish soda bread. This dinner has been passed down through my family many times starting with my great great grandmother.  The way we make the corn beef, cabbage and brussel sprouts has changed a lot over the years, but the Irish soda bread has not changed one bit.  Maybe that’s why it is my favorite.

             Irish Soda Bread is a very simple recipe that consists of raisins, flour, butter, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, caraway seeds, egg, and buttermilk. Mom learned to make it from my dad who learned by watching his mother make it when he was younger.  Because this bread reminds my dad of his childhood, it has now become a part of our childhood.

             I found it neat that when I asked my mom to write down the recipe, she had a hard time putting it into words because she had never looked at a recipe. I also find it cool that my mother was able to pass the tradition on to her side of the family. Even though my grandparents do not cook or bake very much, each year they look forward to our Irish dinner, so we make some extra for them.  Some years they come over and we eat it together. Although I still believe that my mom makes the best Irish soda bread, this year my sister and I will be the ones making the Irish soda bread so that we can continue the tradition! The recipe is as follows:

Lyon Family’s Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

¾ cup Raisins

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Baking Powder

4 ½ cups Flour

1 ¾ cup Buttermilk

1 tsp. Salt

½ cup Sugar

1 tsp. Caraway Seeds

½ lb Butter

1 Beaten egg

Directions:

Wash raisins in hot water. Drain.

Mix together in large bowl flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt

Mix in raisins and caraway seeds

Cut in butter then add in egg and buttermilk

Shape into two loafs on a ungreased cookie sheet

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 mins until brown and sounds hollow when you tap on it.

Loafs should be 1 ½ inches thick when you shape them before baking.



- Dana Lyon

Salmon Steak and Sauce

         My utmost favorite dish is my father's Salmon Steak with sauce usually served with a side dish of sweet potatoes. This is a dish that I always look forward to eating with my family not only because this dish is unique in taste but also because I have never encountered another dish with such a interesting history. I never gave any thought of how my dad actually came up with this dish or what the background story was. So I decided to make a phone call and ask him about the ingredients and its history.

            The story goes that he first began making the dish 42 years ago in the heartland of beef and pork.  My father grew up in a little town 40 miles northwest of Chicago. His family, like most families in the mid-west, basically didn't eat fish; they were too far from the ocean to have fresh fish available. They had pot roast, meatloaf, overcooked vegetables, and turkey or ham for holidays. He had no real idea how to prepare fish, how to select fish, or how  good fish should taste because of the simple fact that he never grew up in a fish culture.

            A good buddy  of my father, another attorney in Indianapolis, introduced me to this basic recipe. Then he began experimenting with it. My father took his basic ideas and played with it.

             Using fresh salmon is the best. Most of the time my dad just settles for frozen salmon because fresh salmon is not always available. My dad uses a glass dish to cook the salmon steak. If the salmon steaks are frozen, they should defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

            Over the years, my dad has added turmeric, dill weed, ginger, and cilantro, substituted dry mustard powder for the wet mustard (not a good idea as far as he's concerned) , and has slightly varied the proportions of ingredients. Some people prefer it more spicy, some less. But when he makes it for me, I ask for the dish to be spicy. My dad has tried multiple oils like sesame and , canola,  but likes olive oil best.

            My dad says that the most important factor is to make sure the fish is in good condition and if frozen is not suffering from freezer burn. Do not overcook the fish or bake at too high a temperature; do not overcook the final sauce and let it become liquid. The only short cuts he recommends might be to cut up the cilantro/parsley ahead of time, but that is hardly worth it. Absolutely essential ingredients are the dill weed, capers, and turmeric as these. Bring out the natural flavors for the salmon. He said he has never seen a recipe for salmon with turmeric, but the turmeric seems to add a subtle nice taste.

            I have tried making it and it's not exactly the same taste. Once I was eating salmon steak at a restaurant. There was not nearly as much flavors in the sauce and not spicy enough for my taste buds.  I hope to learn how to make this recipe the way my dad makes it and continue making it for my family and share it with friends.

~Kimberly Shadel~  Recipe

1.5 thick salmon steak                                   1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp. dill weed(or to taste)                         1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 eggs whites                                                1 or 2 tbs Dijon mustard

1/2 cup low-fat yogurt                                   1/8 tsp. Worcestershire

2 fresh lemons                                               1/8 Tabasco

6 thinly sliced ginger/1/4 tsp. ginger powder    1 tbs. capers(drained)

1 tbs. ea (chives, cilantro, parsley)                 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp turmeric powder                                 1/2 tbs butter
whole peppercorns grind (to taste)
2 tbs horseradish

Preheat oven to 340 degrees. Stir in a bowl the chopped parsley, chives, cilantro, turmeric, ginger, mayonnaise and, yogurt. Mix the oil and lemon juice then coat the bottom surface of pan. Place Salmon steaks on pan with butter placed on top. Spread the yogurt sauce on top as well. Bake for 18-20 minutes. In another bowl mix horseradish, sour cream, mustard, dill weed, Worcestershire, Tabasco, capers, yogurt. Beat egg whites until stiff then gently slide into small sauce pan and heat at low temperature for 2-3 minutes. Fold gently a few times then add the horseradish mixture to sauce pan. Continue folding. Remove the steaks onto paper towels to remove excess oils then grind peppercorns on top. On a plate at the warm sauce on top of Salmon Steaks and serve with a desires garnish and side dish.

My Godmothers Squash Casserole

My Godmother’s Squash Casserole


Squash Casserole – no one does it better than my Godmother, Charlotte Noble. Her Squash Casserole didn’t start off as that but began from just using the abundant squash and onions grown on nearby farms in South Carolina.

There are five important ingredients. Which are ten small yellow summer squash, one large onion, cup of low fat sour cream and two cups of shredded cheddar cheese. To add extra crunch, add a sleeve of Ritz crackers.

 Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat the dish with butter. Put all the sliced onions and sliced squash in a big pot with an inch of water, put a lid on it and let that boil for 10-15 minutes. Drain excess water and mash the mixture with a fork. Mix one-cup low-fat sour cream and 2 cups of shredded cheese with cooked vegetables. Bake for about 30 minutes. This will serve eight people.

A Saucy Story!

            A great family recipe that had been passed down from my great grandmother is a story worth talking about! With my great grandmother having lived in Sicily, Italy, it is no surprise that the recipe I am talking about is for spaghetti sauce. Throughout the years, this recipe has been a family favorite! However, I do admit that we have made a change to it since my great grandmother passed it to my grandmother. The original recipe called for regular tomato paste, and we changed it to Italian seasoned tomato paste. This new change gave the sauce much more flavor (which my great grandmother would approve of). Now what makes this spaghetti sauce recipe unique and interesting is that it calls for crushed red pepper flakes! This is used to add some spiciness to the sauce but of course can always be skipped for those who don’t like a little bit of extra heat. Also, you may ask, why not use real tomatoes? Well, my great grandmother used tomato paste because when she was around, you couldn’t find tomatoes when they were not in season. She used tomato paste so that this recipe could be made all year round, which after you taste this sauce, you will agree that it was a fantastic idea! My family and I are so proud to hold onto this recipe for spaghetti sauce, and I couldn’t be happier to share it with all of you!

Recipe:  

Authentic Sicilian Spaghetti Sauce

• 3 small cans Italian style tomato paste
• Water
• 1lb ground beef 80% lean
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 ½ tsp minced fresh garlic
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• ¼ cup minced fresh onion
• 1 tsp oregano
• ¼ tsp crushed pepper flakes

Brown onion and meat in a large sauce pan. When the meat is brown, add spices and mix, then add tomato paste. Stir and cook over medium heat for four minutes. Add enough water to cover tomato paste (about an inch) lightly stir. Turn heat on low. Do not stir sauce! Otherwise it will bubble all over your stove. Let simmer for two hours. Serve with pasta.

A Picture of Spain

Tortilla Española is a well-known dish in Spanish speaking countries.  This recipe was invented during the siege of Bilbao by Carlist general Tomás de Zumalacárregui because the Carlist Army needed an easy, fast, and nutritious meal to satisfy hunger.  My father, who learned it from his father, makes it often.  I want to make this dish for my kids and continue our Spanish legacy in our family. 

            Making a Tortilla Española is easy.  The ingredients are six peeled potatoes (sliced thinly and uniformly), half an onion, three cloves of garlic (minced), two cups of oil, and five eggs.  First, heat two cups of olive oil in a deep skillet or pot.  Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil, and when they start browning, add the potatoes.  Cook at low temperature until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.  Strain the oil out of the cooked onions, garlic, and potatoes and place mixture in a bowl.  Beat five eggs in separate bowl and combine the potato mixture.  Coat a frying pan with olive oil.  Cook the egg and potato mixture in a frying pan over low heat with the lid on.  Use a spatula to make sure the eggs do not stick to the sides of the pan.  When one side is fully cooked, get a plate, flip the tortilla over the sink to catch any dripping oil and slide it back into the pan to cooking until set.  Let cool and serve.  Serves six.